If you think someone could use your personal information to apply for credit, place a free initial fraud alert with just one nationwide credit bureau: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. The bureau that receives your request must notify the other two, so you generally should not need to file three separate requests.
A fraud alert tells businesses checking your credit report to take reasonable steps to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name. It is not a credit freeze. It won't block charges on an existing credit or debit card, stop withdrawals from a bank account, close a fraudulent account, or repair damage already on your reports.
For U.S. consumer credit files, fraud alerts are governed by federal Fair Credit Reporting Act rules. A bureau's paid credit lock or monitoring service is separate and is not required to place a free fraud alert.
Pick the alert that fits the situation
An initial alert is meant for someone who believes they are, or may become, a victim of fraud or identity theft. You do not need to wait for a fraudulent account, a denied application, or a financial loss.
| Alert | Length | Who it is for | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial fraud alert | One year | Someone who believes they are or may become a fraud or identity-theft victim | No identity-theft report is generally required |
| Extended fraud alert | Seven years | Someone whose identity has been stolen | Identity-theft documentation required by the bureau, such as an FTC Identity Theft Report or police report |
| Active-duty alert | One year | Eligible active-duty service members | Follow the bureau's active-duty verification process |
All three alert types are free.
An initial alert can be renewed when it expires. If you renew an extended alert, the FTC says you will need to resubmit your FTC identity theft report or police report as directed. Active-duty alerts can also be renewed while you remain eligible.
Place the alert through one bureau
Use an official bureau page
Start with one of these official pages:
- Equifax fraud alert instructions
- Experian fraud alert instructions
- TransUnion fraud alert instructions
Online requests are often the quickest route. The bureau may ask for identifying details, former addresses, a current phone number, and answers to verification questions. For an extended alert, be ready to provide the required identity-theft documentation.
If online verification does not work, use the phone or mail instructions on that bureau's current site. Mailing addresses and document requirements can change. Send copies of identity documents, not originals, and keep a copy of what you send along with delivery proof.
Do not send Social Security numbers, identification documents, or police reports through ordinary email unless the bureau provides a secure submission method.
Check the contact number before you submit
The phone number attached to the alert matters. A lender may use it to confirm that a credit application is really yours. Use a number you control and can answer, and update it if it changes.
Once the request is accepted, record:
- The bureau you contacted
- The alert type
- The date placed and expiration date
- Any confirmation or reference number
- The verification phone number on the alert
The bureau should send notice to the other two nationwide bureaus. After the alert has been processed, review reports from all three rather than assuming the transfer was completed without a problem.
You can request reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. Look for unfamiliar accounts, hard inquiries, addresses, names, or collection activity. Contact the bureau directly if an alert is missing or information on a report is wrong.
An initial alert also entitles you to a free copy of your file from each of the three nationwide bureaus. An extended alert entitles you to two free file disclosures within the first 12 months after it is placed.
A fraud alert is not a credit freeze
A fraud alert leaves your report available to creditors but asks them to verify your identity. A credit freeze is a stronger control over access to your report.
| Feature | Fraud alert | Credit freeze |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Requests extra identity verification before new credit is granted | Generally restricts prospective creditors from accessing your report |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| How to set it up | Contact one bureau, which must notify the other two | Contact each bureau separately |
| How long it lasts | Usually one year, or seven years for an extended alert | Stays in place until you lift or remove it |
| Effect on your score | Does not change your credit score | Does not change your credit score |
| Applying for credit | You can still apply, but verification can add time | You usually need to lift the freeze before applying |
A fraud alert can be useful when you need flexibility to apply for a loan, lease, or credit card. A freeze is usually the stronger option if your Social Security number or other information used for new-account fraud was exposed and you do not expect to apply for credit soon.
Neither option fixes fraud that has already happened. You can use a fraud alert and a credit freeze at the same time.
The FTC's guidance on credit freezes and fraud alerts explains the federal process and the difference between these protections.
If identity theft or account fraud has already happened
Put the immediate problem first. A fraud alert belongs on your credit file; it does not replace the reporting process for a compromised bank account, payment card, email account, tax account, or mobile phone number.
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Contact the affected financial institution. Use a trusted number from the back of the card, your statement, or the institution's official site. Ask it to secure the account, replace cards if needed, and explain how to report unauthorized transactions.
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Create an identity-theft report. IdentityTheft.gov can document the theft and provide recovery steps. Its report may also support an extended fraud alert.
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Review and dispute credit-report errors. Report fraudulent accounts, inquiries, addresses, or collection entries to the credit bureau and to the company that supplied the information. Keep copies of disputes, reports, letters, and confirmation numbers.
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Secure related online accounts. Change reused passwords, turn on multifactor authentication, and contact your email or phone provider quickly if someone may have taken over the account.
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Consider freezing all three reports. A freeze can make it harder for an identity thief to open additional accounts while you deal with existing fraud.
If only a credit or debit card number was stolen, call the card issuer or bank immediately. A fraud alert is more relevant when broader identity details, such as your Social Security number, were exposed.
Renewing or removing an alert
Set a reminder before an initial or active-duty alert expires. Renewal is not automatic, and the bureau may ask you to complete verification again.
An extended alert lasts seven years. Renewing it requires the identity-theft documentation requested by the bureau. If you want an extended alert removed before its expiration, ask each nationwide bureau to remove it; the one-bureau placement process does not mean one removal request clears all three files.
A credit freeze is managed separately. If you froze reports with all three bureaus, you must lift or remove the freeze with each bureau where you placed it.
Situations that use a different process
Active-duty service members
Active-duty service members can place an active-duty alert through a bureau's official process. It lasts one year and may be renewed while you remain eligible. Military OneSource's active-duty alert guidance has military-specific information.
Older adults and authorized representatives
There is no separate federal "senior fraud alert." Older consumers use the same initial or extended alert options as anyone else. A caregiver, family member, or representative should ask the bureau what authorization and identity documents it accepts before trying to act for another person.
Children
A child security freeze is different from an adult fraud alert. A parent or guardian should contact each bureau for its procedures and required proof of identity and relationship. The FTC also covers freezing a child's credit.
Business identity misuse
These steps concern personal consumer credit reports. Fraud involving a business credit file or business EIN can require different action with the affected lender, business-credit provider, or financial institution.
Place an initial alert through one official bureau page if you have reason to think your identity information could be misused. Then save the confirmation, pull all three reports, and act promptly on any account or inquiry you do not recognize.